In-Person Chicago| Racial Identity Caucusing | November 9th, 2026 Gathering

WHY RACIAL IDENTITY CAUCUSING?

We know that we’re surrounded by unfair, unjust, and biased messages about different racial groups. These messages are everywhere—in media, schools, and everyday life—and it’s really hard not to take them in when they’re about our own racial group or someone else’s.

If we want to build institutions where just practices and culture are a reality, we have to understand how these messages affect us. That means looking at racism, its values, and ways of thinking about others showing up in our thoughts, actions, and relationships with people from different racial backgrounds. One way to do this work is through racial identity caucusing.

Racial Identity Caucusing is a practice where people talk in groups based on their racial identity. It helps people explore how racism has shaped their experiences and how they might have taken in harmful ideas—like believing their group is less than or better than others. The goal is to notice these patterns and learn how to stop them.

Participants in Crossroads Racial Identity Caucusing gatherings will...

• Understand how race functions in society — Get a clearer picture of what race is and how it's used to shape opportunity, power, and experience in society.
• Explore your own identity — Reflect on who you are, including your race, gender, class, and other parts of your identity — and how these shape your experiences. Learn how racism shows up differently for White people and people of color.
• Notice and interrupt internalized racism -- Build skills to recognize when unfair, internalized ideas about race show up in your own thoughts or actions, and practice ways to interrupt them in everyday life.

HOW IT WORKS

THE PREREQUISITES  

• Exploring internalized racism requires some preparation, so all participants must register in advance. What you need to do depends on your workshop history:
  • Path 1: You've completed Toward Liberation, or its precursor, Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism (also known as the "2½ Days" workshop, or ABAR in St. Louis) -- You're ready to register — no additional steps needed.
  • Path 2: You've completed a different qualifying workshop -- You'll need to complete two short prerequisites before joining:
    • Watch a framing video on Race-Based Caucusing.
    • Attend a digital orientation via Zoom (90 minutes).

THE ORIENTATION

• Anyone who has never caucused with Crossroads or CROAR.
• Anyone for whom it's been more than a year since they last caucused (a great refresher!)
• The Digital Orientation for the November 9th Caucus will take place on Thursday, November 5th, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM CT via ZOOM.

THE LOGISTICS

Racial Identity Caucus sessions meet monthly for 2 hours, either via Zoom or in-person for Chicago-area participants.

📍 Location
IFF, 333 S Wabash, Suite 2800, Chicago, IL 60604

🕕 Schedule

6:00 – 8:30 PM CT

6:00 PM: Crossroads will provide light refreshments. You're also welcome to bring your own food if you need to eat dinner during the session.

6:30 PM: Caucus practice begins

💛 Cost
Free to register. That said, we hope you'll consider making a donation to acknowledge the work Crossroads puts into offering this space — based on whatever value the caucus brings to your life and work.

🕕 Timeliness

Arrive on time. Once the Community Agreement is finalized — usually within the first 20 minutes (around 6:50 PM CT) — late arrivals will not be admitted.

Plan to stay the full session. All participants are expected to attend from beginning to end. Coming and going during the session is not permitted.

Need Accommodations?
If you have concerns about your ability to participate, or have any accommodation needs, please reach out to us at registration@crossroadsantiracism.org.

Location

IFF, 333 S. Wabash, Suite 2800, 60604